Communication Intervention in Children with Severe Disabilities and Multilingual Backgrounds: Perceptions of Pedagogues and Parents

Abstract

Increasing global population movement has resulted in a corresponding increase of children with severe and multiple disabilities and complex communication needs who at home are exposed to languages different from the language used at school. The aim of this study was to highlight facilitating as well as limiting factors for effective communication intervention for these children both in school and within the family. Based on observations, qualitative research interviews and analysis in the tradition of grounded theory the results indicate that the quality of parent-teacher-interaction is central to effective communication intervention and culturally sensitive use of communication aids. Challenges for teachers as well as parents to achieve a mutually satisfying interaction are addressed, and issues regarding the language use with children with severe disabilities and a multilingual and multicultural background and the inclusion of their parents in school based activities are discussed.

Keywords::

• Augmentative and alternative communication
• Severe and multiple disabilities
• Bilingualism and multilingualism

Acknowledgements

The author gratefully acknowledges the Diocesian Pedagogical College (Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule) Graz for funding the study. The author would also like to thank Professor Juliet Goldbart, School of Health, Psychology & Social Care at Manchester Metropolitan University, for her thoughtful remarks related to the text, and the reviewers of the manuscript for their useful comments. Thanks are extended to the parents and pedagogues who by dedicating their time and sharing their experiences made the study possible. Portions of this manuscript were presented at the 14th biennial meeting of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Barcelona, Spain, 24–29 July 2010.

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Appendix A

Interview Guide for Parents

Questions related to the child’s communication, for example:

• How do you experience the communication with your child?

• How does your child communicate with you?

• Which language do you typically use with your child?

Questions related to language use, for example:

• Do you think there is a difference between how much your child understands in his/her home language and how much he/she understands in German?

• Are all family members using the same language when they communicate with your child?

Interview Guide for Teachers

Questions related to the child’s communication, for example:

• What are the child’s possibilities to communicate with you, with his/her peers?

• How would you estimate the child’s receptive language abilities? Is there a difference between your and the parents’ estimation?

• Does the family report that the child is communicating differently at home than you observe him/her communicate in school?

Questions related to language use, for example:

• Can you rely on a person in school who is competent in the child’s first language?

• Would you say that working with the child is more difficult because of the immigration background of his/her family?

Questions related to communication aids, for example:

• Did you have a chance to model to the parents how the communication aid can be used in the interaction with the child?

Notes

1. All interview quotes were translated from German by the author.

2. Boardmaker™, a registered trademark of Mayer-Johnson, Inc., Solana Beach, CA, is a multilingual software for creating symbol-based communication materials.